How to make kombucha
I just read an interesting article about Covid19 and fermented products.
The sum of the study was that people who consume fermented food on a regular basis has a stronger immune system and whenever they were contracted with the virus they did heal quickly or with no complications or they hardly had any symptoms.
I am very much a fermenting “princess” lately. I tried to make a photo of my stash in the garage, but it is dark (on purpose) and just can`t fit into one photo or maybe I just didn`t try hard enough.
Anyhow. Those are vegetables and I am planning to talk to you about another kind of ferment… a drinkable one, called kombucha. Kombucha begin life as a sweet green or black tea, fermented with the help of a SCOBY ( symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). The Scoby consumes the sugar in the tea, to create a delicious, fizzy, slightly sour digestive-aid drink. The most fascinating thing about this for me that while the mother Scoby is working hard and fermenting the tea, it is also making a baby Scoby on the surface of the brew. Wow…like wow.
I`ve been making my own kombucha for nearly 3 years now. It`s super easy and doesn`t require much (otherwise probably I wouldn’t make it) . Before I get into the `how to make it`, let me tell you about the benefits.
It`s fermented so you guessed it right…it`s probiotic. It also contains a range of lactobacillus and acetobacter bacteria, yeasts and nutritional elements known to support and boost overall health.
These properties include vitamins C, B1, B2, B3, B5 and B12, various acids such as butyric, caprylic and gluconic acids, amino acid and antioxidants.
There are lots of health claims which I am not going to list now, but feel free to do your own research if you like.
How to make it
You will need:
- -Scoby and about 125 ml starter tea (leftover from a previous brew)
- -a large glass jar (about 2.5 l )
- -6-8 tea bags (green or black)
- -160-200 g sugar
- - tight weaved cotton or muslin cloth and elastic band to cover your jar
- - 2 litres of water
How to brew your kombucha:
Boil your water in a kettle or a pan.
Put 6 to 8 tea bags into a heat proof container, and then add between 160-200 grams of sugar to the container.
Pour the boiling water into the container in which you have placed your tea bags and sugar.
Stir your tea until the sugar dissolves then wait 30 minutes before removing your tea bags, and then leave to cool.
Place the Scoby and starter tea in your jar and then fill it up with your cooled sweet tea.
Cover with a piece of cloth and fix it with an elastic band.
Now you can find a warm place for your jar out of direct sunlight.
Your kombucha will take 7-30 days to brew. The longer you leave it the less sweet, more sour it will become. Kombucha should taste fruity/sour/tarte. Its flavour is a little similar to apple cider vinegar and it should smell and taste vinegar like and a bit yeasty.
After a few days you can start to taste it and see what flavour you prefer.
I like mine very strong and more like vinegary, so I usually leave it for at least 2 weeks and don`t touch it until it grows a nice thick baby Scoby on the surface.
Ok, fine, usually I leave it for a month because I keep forgetting to make a new batch hahaha.
When you feel your brew is ready, pour your brew into the container you plan to keep your drink in, but remember to leave the Scoby sitting in a small amount of brew in its brewing jar ( about ¼ of the jar).
Keep your drink in the fridge or if you want to build up more fizz leave at room temperature for 1-3 days. It will not go off but will keep on fermenting at room temperature so either burp the bottles or to slow the fermentation down keep it in the fridge.
I personally don`t have room in my fridge most of the time plus I forget it in the fridge if I put it there, so mine lives on my kitchen counter. Sometimes I make it so strong I need to dilute it, but I learnt to love that too. It`s totally up to you how you like it.
While your Scoby sits in its jar in its own juice, you can either make another batch, or if you are not ready to brew some more, cover the top of the jar with your brewing cloth and leave it sitting at room temperature. That is your Scoby hotel. Nope, I didn`t invent that name and no idea who it was but I totally love it.
During your brew you will notice that a new baby Scoby will start to form as a thin layer on top of your brew. These babies should be kept with their mother Scoby until they get a bit bigger and stronger, then you can use them separately in another brew.
If your baby Scoby is too small and you try to brew a new batch with them you might risk some mould building up. So, it does worth the wait.
Since I regularly make kombucha I have lots of baby Scobies. If you live anywhere near Larne and would like to try to make your own kombucha, just give me a shout and I am happy to share the babies with you totally free. My goal is to make as many people healthy and conscious as I can so hear! hear! for Scoby sharing and fermenting!
Some beginner’s advice:
- - If you are new to kombucha you need to introduce it into your system slowly.
- - It`s raw and unpasteurised so it`s normal for bits to develop in the drink. These are not harmful, but if you wish you can filter them out before drinking.
- - Please consult your doctor before drinking kombucha if you are diabetic.
- - I have never made such a sparkling kombucha that it would have popped the lid off BUT it is possible so do not bend over it when you open the bottle.
- - Scoby does not like metal, so avoid touching it with metal utensils.
- - Give it time. I know poking it and twirling it is very inviting….. I have tried, but babies grow best if you just leave them alone.
And I think that`s all for now friends! I tried to keep it short and sweet!
I hope you give it a go.
Andrea x